Tag: Tamsin Ainslie

“Mother,” she hissed, but her mother didn’t hear. The shadowy figure set out across the terrace and down to the lawn below, heading across the grounds.
Betony’s breath caught in her throat.
Her mother was going into the Dark Forest of Nevermore. She was leaving.
Princess Betony adores the queen, her mother, and knows that her mother loves her, too. But her mother is a dryad, a tree spirit, and misses the Dark Forest. And with the Lord Chancellor, the King’s chief advisor, making life very difficult for the queen, Betony is worried she will lose her to the forest. So, when she sees her mother disappear into the trees in the middle of the night, Betony follows her, even though she knows it is dangerous. She will do whatever it takes to get her mother back – even catch a unicorn.

Princess Betony and the Unicorn is the first of four adventures featuring the adventurous, feisty but loyal Princess Betony. First published in 2012, its has been re-released along with the other three titles. Each features a magical adventure and is beautifully illustrated with grey scale illustrations on each spread, and charming cover designs.

Suitable for young fantasy lovers and those new to the genre, these are gorgeous books which will be treasured.

Once, when Henny Penny was pecking at her early-morning corn, something fell on her head.

‘Cluck!’ she said. ‘Who threw that?’

But there was no reply.

So she ran one way and peered. Then she ran another way and peeked. She looked here and looked there, but she saw nothing and no one.

Once, when Henny Penny was pecking at her early-morning corn, something fell on her head.

‘Cluck!’ she said. ‘Who threw that?’

But there was no reply.

So she ran one way and peered. Then she ran another way and peeked. She looked here and looked there, but she saw nothing and no one.

Henny Penny is concerned that bits of the sky are dropping and one by one her friends join her flight from the falling sky. They are even joined by Foxy Loxy who appears to be worried about the sky too. He leads them to tell the king. But when they reach the ‘palace’ it’s not quite as they imagine and a new flight begins. Text is set on one side of each opening, illustration on the other. Illustrations are stylised and set in white paper with the landscape framing the action.

Henny Pennyis a story that has been told many times over the years. This retelling from Little Hare is part of a series of popular traditional tales revisited. Each is illustrated by an Australian illustrator. The text is accessible to an independent reader and the illustrations are just beautiful. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers and anyone fond of traditional tales.

One kiss for baby, under mistletoe.
Two kisses for baby, catching falling snow.

Playing under mistletoe, singing with the choir or jingling Christmas bells, Christmas kisses abound in this gentle rhyming offering. Counting from one to ten, and finishing with the children (and their animal friends) asleep on Christmas Eve, the text would make a perfect bedtime wind down in the lead up to Christmas.

The pastel toned illustrations are adorable, with the numbers hanging in large baubles, the kisses snowflake adorned love hearts and the characters – two older children, baby and a rabbit and a fox – happily preparing for Christmas.

Betony pointed her right toe. Then she swept her foot around behind her, as far as she could –

‘Ow!’ Lady Pineal said, and started hopping on one foot, rubbing the leg that Betony had accidentally kicked.

Princess Betony is back in a second fantastical adventure in Floramonde. This time she is to collect the thunder egg, a gift from the Wild Magic. She is apprehensive, but it will mean a break from the tedious curtsey practice with the relentless Lady Pineal. And it seems that it is a task that only she can fulfil and she must do it alone. Opinions are varied: ‘too dangerous’; ‘impossible’; ‘too tricky’. Only her mother, Queen Salixia understands what an honour it is that Betony has been asked, and only Salixia realises the consequences if Betony doesn’t go. Betony makes her own decision to go, excited and apprehensive in equal measures. What follows is a magical adventure through the Dark Forest and into Teapot Mountain. Black and white illustrations appear on each opening.

Princess Betony and the Thunder Egg is a beautiful almost pocket-sized hardback book, complete with dust jacket and place-marker ribbon. The cover and endpapers are covered in snowflake or ice crystal shapes. Betony is more comfortable making decisions outside in the ‘real’ world than she seems to be with the formalities required of a princess in a palace. Her clumsiness vanishes as she sets out on her quest to bring home the thunder egg. Her parents support her quest, her mother with less anxiety than her father – perhaps trusting her to be open to the world around her and therefore in less danger. Wrapped in this fairy tale are many reassuring messages about becoming independent even when it might be a bit scary. It also recognises that success and bravery are more likely when others believe in you. But mostly, this is a lovely and thoughtful adventure for quiet and resourceful princesses who don’t mind getting their frocks dirty. Recommended for early primary and younger children as a read-to.

Dad and three children are at home sharing an ‘everyday’. Once the washing is hung, the children want to know what they will do next. Dad suggests making a cake. So begins the long wait until the children can lick the spoon. There’s fun to be had first as they mix all the ingredients. The baby sits on the floor and bangs pans, investigates cupboards and generally entertains him/herself. The children regularly chant the refrain that provides the title. Finally, it’s time to lick the spoon, but there’s still waiting to be done before the cake is cool enough and iced and they can eat it. Illustrations are in pencil, gouache and some collage and provide baby with his/her own story, not alluded to in the text. The cover has a very identifiable red-with-white-spots spine and a soft lemon coloured front and back.

The text for Can We Lick the Spoon Now? is simple and the cake-making a gentle activity but many readers will relate to the stages involved before it’s possible to eat the cake. The addition of Baby’s visual story provides a second narrative that may not be seen on first reading, but supports rereading. There is a delightful calmness to the cake-making despite some of the challenges that can come with small children in the kitchen. As well as guiding his three children through the cake-making, Dad is doing the washing, and even a little shopping. There’s a lovely twist at the end that is at once real and surprising. Recommended for pre-school and early-primary aged children. (And anyone who’s ever made a cake with small children!)

Littledog found us one holiday evening.
He was waiting at the shack when we got back from the beach.

Sam and his family are at the beach for the summer holidays. They are befriended by a small dog they immediately christen Littledog. Despite their best efforts to find Littledog’s owners, no one claims him. One by one he wins over the family, slowly and cheerfully overcoming all opposition. By the end of the holidays, he has become one of the family. Illustrations are full page and imbued with summer’s golden hues. The scenes are iconically Australian from the ‘shack’ to the barbecue on the verandah. The characters are simply drawn and reflect the magic of long summer days. Littledog is just plain cute with his floppy ear and perky tail. Endpapers are a luscious collage of craft fabrics and summer fun.

Littledog appears from nowhere and attaches himself to Sam and his family. He fits right in with their relaxed holiday lifestyle and wags ‘his whole bottom’ to show his happiness. There’s a definite sense of him choosing them to stay with. It does raise the question though of where he came from, a question that isn’t answered although the family do try to find out. Sam is the nominal narrator, but the story belongs to the entire family. Littledog captures long, lazy summer days, family fun and the joys of pet ownership (even if the last is unexpected). Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

Count My Kisses, Little One is a first counting book. A small girl frolics through the pages with ‘baby’ (a toy dog), and friends Rabbit and Bear (not that any are named). Numbers one to ten are counted in kisses as the group make their way through a single day. They play inside and out, read a story, have a bath and prepare for bed. The small girl is ‘mother’ looking after her ‘baby’. On each page there are hearts (kisses) to count, accompanied by a simple rhyme. Illustrations are gentle watercolours on a cream page, soft and beautiful. Count My Kisses, Little Oneis a square format hardback with a musk pink spine. The four characters dance their way across the cover, surrounded by kisses.

Count My Kisses, Little One is a lovely book for babies first being introduced to books and to numbers. There are lots of extras for them to find after the kisses have been counted. The activities of a normal day are modelled throughout, finishing with ‘baby’ being tucked up in bed. Small children will recognise and enjoy this portrayal of these familiar daily activities. Recommended for babies and preschool children.